Changing the public opinion of New Jersey, one bright spot at a time

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Monthly Archives: May 2012

In the past few weeks, Wawa has become a staple in not only my life but the lives of my family members. That’s why it’s shocking when every once in a while it hits me—the rest of our country doesn’t have Wawa. It only exists in a few states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida. If you don’t live in those states, you’re missing out!

Wawa is a convenience store/gas station located throughout the tri-state area. I can’t speak for everyone in New Jersey but I think their hoagies (submarines for you Mid-westerners) are the best thing they offer. At least once a week, I have a Wawa hoagie for dinner—my favorite is roast beef, tomato and pickles with salt, pepper and oregano, but they can make almost any type of hoagie possible. My dad is an avid fan of Wawa coffee, and when I asked him what he likes so much about Wawa coffee he simply replied “I can make it myself.” And it’s true—the customer not only pours the coffee but also adds the cream, milk and sugar.

To anyone who doesn’t know where I’m talking about, it sounds crazy to like a small gas station as much as I do. I’m certain, however, that given the opportunity to try it, anybody would instantly love it. If hoagies aren’t your thing, you could try breakfast burritos, wraps, soup, fresh snacks—anything your taste buds could desire, Wawa has. And don’t forget about the Hoagie-Fest—the way the tri-state area knows it’s truly summertime. If you live in New Jersey, be thankful that you have Wawa—no additional reason necessary!

I gotta admit, I love Jersey Shore. Not because I think it’s good entertainment or because I aspire to be Jwoww, but because it’s trashy, it’s a guilty pleasure, and it’s just what I need after a long day, or just to remind myself that life could be worse. Even if you’re not a fan of the MTV show, you’ve undoubtedly heard about it and the stereotypes it causes. I’ll try to cover as many as I can, but for now, I’ll cover possibly the most well-known and most annoying: Fake tanning.

Some notable celebrities from Jersey look like they just rolled in Cheeto dust. But not all of us are like that, I promise. I’ll be completely honest and say I know a few girls who are obviously guilty of fake tanning. Seeing them makes me cringe and wonder if they’re oblivious to the fact that skin tones are not usually Crayola orange or if they think they look really hot (side note: I never see any of them with a boyfriend). It’s honestly a mystery to me why someone would do that to themselves. I mean, I know I’m pale—and at times disgustingly so—but I’d never lower myself to fake tanning.

Jerseyans are tan I’ve noticed, but most are natural. I’ll blog about this much more over the summer but even before Jersey Shore the beach has been a huge part of our lives. It’s where we grow up, and where our best memories are. When you’re down the shore for the majority of summer, it’s natural to get very tan, despite vigorous applications of sun screen. To me, at least, the difference is very clear between a fake tanner and a beach dweller—and the latter is more common. This stereotype is one that can be cracked with certainty!

I remember one time while on vacation I noticed how incredibly grateful I am to live in Jersey. I was in Canada, Toronto I believe, and we had just woken up from a peaceful slumber—and we were hungry. Nobody in family is a morning person, so when you add hunger to that, we’re not exactly balls of sunshine. We must have walked for at least half an hour before finding a place that served breakfast. At the time, we wondered why it was so hard to find a restaurant that served pancakes and coffee, but as we were eating in a mall food court, it dawned on us—there were no diners. In Jersey, there are multiple diners within walking distance of my house! Anywhere you go there’s a diner. New Jersey is famous for them, often nicknamed “Diner Capital of the World”. If you’re picturing a typical 50’s diner with greasy food, well, you’re right. But that’s the point of it—the atmosphere, the jukeboxes at each table, delicious (albeit unhealthy) food, friendly staff. A diner is the place to go, whether you’re craving breakfast, dinner or any of the in-betweens. If you live in New Jersey, be thankful you live somewhere where breakfast is just a step away. Until next time,

Hello, and thanks for visiting my (still-under-construction) blog. I’m Kristen, a 16 year old sophomore from New Jersey, and the goal of my blog is to polish the tarnished reputation of my homestate. You can learn more about that at my about page. I’m excited to work to inform America about my homestate. As always, feel free to comment with opinions or suggestions, and be sure to check back soon!